It is clear that BJP central leadership is not able to finalize the name of state unit president for Andhra Pradesh. Yesterday the party appointed presidents for five states, including neighboring Telangana.
Party MLA from Mushirabad in the capital , Dr Lakshman has been appointed president, ignoring other strong aspirants such former MLA Y Lakshminarayana, MLC N Ramachandra Rao and another MLA Chintala Ramachandra Reddy. Even incumbent president G Kishan Reddy also tried his best to continue for another term. But the party preferred Lakshman to all other leaders.
Lakshman, a doctorate from Osmania University, is a Munnuru Kapu leader. Munnuru Kapu is a numerically strong backward caste in Telangana. Why BJP chose to appoint Lakshman, a not-so -virulent critic of Chandrasekhar Rao, to lead the party in the new state?
The out-going president Kishan Reddy is a different kettle of fish.
He used to take on the chief minister with strongest possible language. Lakshman is not known for confrontational politics. He is mild when criticizing the opponents in politics. Is it that by appointing Lakshman as the party president, has BJP leadership displayed a friendly gesture to TRS, which is said to be eager to join the union cabinet. BJP strategy might be that a friendly gesture towards TRS may help the pink party distance itself from the MIM.
Then, is there any message for Andhra Pradesh in Lakshman’s appointment? Would BJP follow the same formula of keeping the ruling party in good humor or would the party attempt to carve out some independent space for itself in Andhra Pradesh by appointing a strong leader with no special affinity for chief minister Naidu?
The central party seems to have been steeped in the caste controversy in Andhra Pradesh -whether to retain incumbent president K Haribabu and go in for a change. This is not a simple question for the saffron party given the caste animosity in the state. Appointment of new president is set to define the future of the party in the state Because all Kammas are opposed to upsetting the present arrangement which is friendly to Naidu. On the contrary a Kapu leader at the helm of affairs is bound to create friction between the TDP, a loyal ally of NDA and and BJP. BJP, however, can opt for a middle path and appoint a non-Kamma and non-Kapu leader and avoid the confrontation. Is it possible?
